Eurasia

Christopher Evans

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pubOne.info present you this new edition. In "Eurasia" the author describes an ideal republic where many of the problems that confront us are worked out. The book describes in an interesting and readable way how government is administered in this ideal republic. The government is one in which women take their full share of responsibility, the school children are trained in the problems they will meet in life, and more emphasis is laid on character building than on the dead languages. The children of both sexes are taught useful trades. All school children are taught to swim. The idle are employed in the construction of roads, canals and irrigation works. The problems of distribution are so arranged that the worker receives a more equitable reward for his labor.

Informations

• Publié par: Pub One Info
• Date de parution: 06 novembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782819938866
• Langue: English

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EURASIA
By
Christopher Evans
PREFACE.
In “Eurasia” the author describes an ideal republicwhere many of the problems that confront us are worked out. Thebook describes in an interesting and readable way how government isadministered in this ideal republic. The government is one in whichwomen take their full share of responsibility, the school childrenare trained in the problems they will meet in life, and moreemphasis is laid on character building than on the dead languages.The children of both sexes are taught useful trades. All schoolchildren are taught to swim. The idle are employed in theconstruction of roads, canals and irrigation works. The problems ofdistribution are so arranged that the worker receives a moreequitable reward for his labor.
The author, Chris. Evans, speaks with a firsthandknowledge when he discusses the army prison management and theadministration of law. Mr. Evans, who was born in Vermont, is anold cavalryman, having served in the Civil War. After the war heserved with the cavalry in the West, fighting Indians.
CHAPTER I.
A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE.
One pleasant afternoon in the month of May, 19— , Ilaunched my boat, and after rowing about half a mile from shore Ishipped my oars, stepped the mast, hoisted sail and reclining on acushioned seat at the stern with my hand on the tiller, I waitedfor a breeze to spring up, and whilst so doing I fell asleep. Howlong I slept I know not, for when I awoke my boat was close toshore, and to my' astonishment I was in strange waters. I wentashore, when I was accosted in English with a foreign accent by avenerable looking man with the question: “Where did you come from?” I replied: “From the United States of America, and what countryis this? ” His answer was Eurasia, and beckoning to a man inuniform, who was passing by and who immediately joined us, he toldhim that I was from the United States of America and did not knowwhat country I was in. The official addressed me very kindly andinvited me to accompany him, and leaving the boat in charge of myfirst acquaintance, with instructions to take good care of it, heescorted me into the city and left me at a hotel with a requestthat I would permit him to call on me the next day at ten a. m. ,and he would show me all the principal buildings and introduce meto the President, “who I have no doubt will be delighted to seeyou. ” At the appointed time he arrived, and, taking my place byhis side in an automobile driven by electricity, we passed insuccession the buildings occupied by the different Departments ofState, and stopped in front of a modest building set back a shortdistance from the street, and at the gate we were at once admittedby the officer on duty, who informed us that the President washolding a Cabinet meeting and would receive me immediately. ThePresident's private secretary met me at the door and introduced meto the President, who shook my hand warmly, and introduced me tohis Cabinet in the following order:
Mr., the Minister of State.
Mrs., the Minister of Justice.
Mr., the Minister of Railways.
Mrs., the Minister of Education.
Mr., the Minister of Finance.
Mrs., the Minister of Information.
Mr., the Minister of Agriculture.
Mrs., the Minister of Health.
Mr., the Minister of Commerce.
Mrs., the Minister of Manufactures.
Mr., the Minister of Mines.
Mrs., the Minister of War.
Mr., the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Mrs., the Minister of Labor.
I informed the President that I wished to learn allI could about the Government and Institutions of the country, towhich he replied by handing me the Official Directory, and addedthat he and his Cabinet would assist me to the fullest extent. Iexpressed my heartfelt thanks for their kindness, and, going backto my hotel, I opened the Official Directory. I found the countrygoverned by a President elected directly by the people for fiveyears, but the law provided that if his government was notsatisfactory to the people, a petition signed by five per cent. ofthe voters called for an election, and if a majority voted againsthim, he was removed from office and the Minister of State assumedthe Presidency for the remainder of the term. The Cabinet wascomposed of fourteen members-seven men and seven women-and werechosen by the Parliament, who were free to select them from theirown members or outsiders, provided that the person chosen was avoter and twenty-five years of age. When the Parliament met, whichit did on the first day of January, and adjourned on the first ofMarch, sine die, the Ministers presented their reports of theirwork for the previous two years, and if the Parliament approvedthem, they continued in office; but if the Parliament by a majorityvote disapproved of any of them, then the Minister resigned and theParliament appointed another person to take his or her place. Themembers of Parliament were elected for two years and to servewithout pay, but their expenses were paid by the Government and theamount necessary was fixed by law and could not be raised orlowered, only by two-thirds vote of the qualified voters of theNation. The country was divided into districts and every districtelected a member for every hundred thousand of population, providedthat every other member from a district should be a female, thusgiving both sexes full representation in the Government. Eachdistrict was governed by a Governor, elected for two years, and aCourt of Judges, consisting of a Chief Justice, a ProsecutingAttorney, an Attorney for the Defense and twelve Justice Jurors,who tried all felony cases and civil cases that could not besettled by Arbitration, and who sat also as a Board of Equalizationand as Supervisors.
The law provided that eight Jurors or two-thirds ofthem (if any were absent through sickness or any other reasonablecause), in every case could bring in a verdict of guilty incriminal cases or for the Complainant or Defendant in civil cases,and if eight did not find the Defendant guilty, the case wasdismissed-but if guilty the Defendant had only to say “I appeal, ”and a copy of the evidence was sent immediately to the SupremeCourt, composed of Judges, elected by the people, one from eachdistrict, to serve for five years.
The Court sat six days in each week, excepting fourweeks in July-August, when all the Courts were allowed by law fourweeks' vacation. They were required to work eight hours each daybeginning at eight a. m. , with one hour rest at noon, and endingat five p. m. ; but they could work longer if they so desired, butthe law forbade any adjournment and to prevent bribery thedocuments in every case-civil or criminal-arriving daily wereplaced in a lottery wheel, and, on the Court assembling at eight a.m. , the wheel was revolved, and in the presence of the Minister ofJustice a blind boy and girl drew the documents out and handed themto pages who delivered them to the Judges in alphabetical order.Three Judges, forming a committee, decided every case that cameinto their hands on the same day. There was no delay in Justice,and, if any Judge misbehaved, the voters in his district couldremove him under the same law that applied to the President.
The law of recall applied to all officers of theGovernment elected by the people. The salary of the Supreme CourtJudges was fixed by law at ten dollars per day and that of a ChiefJustice of a district at five dollars per day. That of theProsecuting Attorney and Attorney for the Defense at four dollarsper day, and that of Justice and Jurors at three dollars per daythe year 'round.
No costs were charged to either complainant ordefendant in any case, either civil or criminal, but if a personbrought complaint without just and sufficient cause, the lawprovided that they should be examined by the Court, and if foundsane, they should be imprisoned for one year at hard labor, and ifinsane, to be sent immediately to the Lunatic Asylum. In every casethe complainant was first warned by the Court of what would happenif the charge proved to be unfounded.
I made inquiries among the people and was told thatthe law was a great promoter of peace and good will.
CHAPTER II.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
During the following week I called on the Ministerof Justice and informed her of my desire to learn the workings ofher Department. She handed me a copy of the Penal Code, and I wasastonished to find how simple the course of procedure was comparedwith that of my own country. Felonies ranked in the followingorder: Murder, Rape, Incest and crimes against nature, Arson,Robbery, Assault to Murder, Manslaughter, Mayhem, Bribery, Larcenyand Perjury. The law held one degree of murder and that was withmalice aforethought, but where a person killed a human beingwantonly, without cause or malice, the homicide was committed tothe Lunatic Asylum, and, after one year's imprisonment, deprived ofthe sexual organs, and if his or her conduct endangered the peaceor safety of the community, were to be chloroformed.
The penalty for murder was imprisonment for life,subject to parole after ten years. Rape fiends were sentenced totwenty-five years, and after one year's imprisonment to bedesexualized and subject to parole after five years.
Persons found guilty of Incest and crimes againstnature received the same punishment as Rape fiends and subject toparole after five years. The penalty for Arson was twenty years,subject to parole after four years. For Robbery fifteen years andsubject to parole after three years. The same penalty for Assaultto Murder and subject to parole after three years. Manslaughter,Mayhem and Bribery were punished by imprisonment for ten years andsubject to parole after two years. Larceny and Perjury werepunished by five years' imprisonment, and subject to parole afterone year. Public officials who embezzled public funds werecommitted for Perjury as well as Larceny, and were debarred fromever holding office. The law provided that in the course of thetrial of any person charged with Felony,